Device for relieving the tension of car-buffers



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

G. A.- SGHROYER 8; E. B. THOMPSON. DEVICE FOR RELIEVING THE TENSION 0]? CAR BUFFERS.

I -In Patented Mar. 31, 18 91.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. A. SOHROYER 8c E. B. THOMPSON. DEVICE FOR EELIEVING THE TENSION OE GAR BUFFERS. No. 449,388.

Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. SOHROYER AND EDGAR B. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR RELIEVING THE TENSION OF CAR-BUFFERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 449,388, dated March 31, 1 891. Application filed May 24,1890. Serial No. 352,987. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. SCHROYER and EDGAR B. THOMPSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Device for Relieving the Tension of Draw- Bars, of which the followingisa specification.

iVhen a coupling is made between cars equipped with vertical hook-couplers-such, for example, as the Miller or the master carbuilders type-the heavy buffer-springs are compressed, producing tension in the drawbars and consequent compression of the draftsprings. The tension thus produced being .very great causes the coupling-hooks to engage with such force as to render it extremely difficult to release or draw them apart to uncouple the cars.

It is the object of our invention to remove this difficulty and to relieve the draw-bars of the tension to which they are subjected when the cars are coupled, rendering it easy to uncouple, and this we accomplish by providing suitable means for releasing the compression of either the buffer or the draft-springs, thus allowing the butter to move back or the drawbar to move forward, thereby relieving the tension of the draw-bars; and our invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aplan view of the platform of a car provided with our inventions, the flooring being removed. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sections on lines 2, 3, and 4 of Fig. 1, respectively, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are plan views illustrating modified forms of the illvention.

A is the end beam of the car; B B, the platform-sills; O, the buiter-beam; D, the buffer; D, its stem 5 d, a pin 5 E, the buffer-spring;

- F F, two parts of a clutch; G G, levers; II,

a sleeve-casting; I I, guides; J J, butters; jj, their stems; K, an equalizing-bar; L, the draw-bar; 7., the coupling-hook; L, the draftspring.

In Fig. 5, M M are toggle-jointed levers; m, a wheel; M, a follower; m, a casting.

In Fig. 6, N Nare gear-wheels; n n, cams; O, a worm-shaft; 0, a hand-wheel.

In Fig. 7, P is a cam, 19 a shaft, and R a casting.

The platform of a car equipped with our invention, the draw-bar, draft-springs, buffer, and other parts of the structure not hereinafter more particularly described are made in the usual manner, and,inasmueh as their construction will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings, they require and will receive no further description.

On the buffer-stem is mounted a collar E, havinglugs e e, slidingin guides I I, attached to the sills adjacent to the buffer-stem. (See Fig. 4:.) The collar may be fastened to or left loosely mounted upon the stem, which is preferably turned down to form a shoulder against which the collar bears. One end of the buffer spring or springs, if more than.

one be used, abut, as shown, against this collar, the other end of such spring abutting against one part F of a clutch. This clutch is made in two parts F F, mounted upon the buffer-stem, and provided with any number of teeth or points ff, adapted to engage or interlock. The partFof this clutch is loosely mounted on the buffer-stem, and is provided with lugst' t' on its sides, which slide in the guidesII. The part F of the clutch isloosely mounted upon the bufferstem and bears against a sleeve-casting II, which prevents it from moving backward. The construction of this sleeve-casting will be obvious from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It is bolted, as shown, to the sills B B and abuts against the end car-timber A. The buffer-stem enters this sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2. A lever G is fastened to the part F to afford means for rotating it in one direction or the other. A pin d projects from the buffer-stem, which contacts with the buffer-beam and prevents the stem from being thrown too far forward, holding all the parts in place.

The above description applies to the parts of my device when used with the Miller and similar couplers where there is but one buffer. \Vhen used with a double buifer, the parts remain the same with the exception of the buffer and buffer-stem. The stem in such case extends only to the dotted line :0 w, and in place of the buffer D are substituted the two buffers J, attached to either end of an equalizing-bar K, pivoted to the buffer-stem at 7s.

The mode of operation is as follows: The

cars being coupled, and the parts of the clutch,

&c., in the position shown in Fig. 1, if it is desired to uncouple, the lever G is raised and the part F of the clutch revolved toward the left until the clutch-points f f pass each other. The instant this occurs the spring E forces the clutch-follower Fbackward, its points entering between the points of the part F. The backward movement of the follower F allows the buffer to move back and releases the compression of the buffer-spring, and in consequence relieves the tension of the drawbars, rendering it easy to uncouple the cars. The cars being uncoupled, the lever G should be forced down again to its original position. This revolves the part F toward the right, and the inclined clutch-points, working upon each other in'such a manner as to reduce the friction to a minimum, separate the parts of the clutch, restorin gthem tothe position shown in Fig. 1 and forcing the buffer out again. This can be done whether the cars are coupled or uncoupled; but of course it is more easily done in the latter case.

The above device or similar ones may be applied to the draw-bar, if desired; but we do not attempt to cover them in this applica tion when so applied.

We have shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 three additional equivalent devices for accomplishing the desired results, which we have devised, and although we have only shown them as applied to the buffer it will be obvious that, as was the case with the device shown in Fig. 1, they can be applied to the draft-bar, the relative position of the parts being changed so as to allow a forward movement instead of the backward movement, for which they are adjusted when applied to the buffer.

In Fig. 5 we have shown the rear end of the butter-spring abutting against the follower M, and attached to the rearward side of this follower is a set of toggle-jointed levers M M, fastened together, as shown, and the last of the set being fastened to a casting m',whioh abuts against the end car-timber. Between the levers is placed a hand-wheelm, which is secured to a screw-shaft engaging with two of the levers, as shown. \Vhen in the position shown in the figure, the bufferis pushed forward, and when it is desired to release itturning the wheel in the other direction the former position of the parts may be restored.

In Fig. 6 a pair of cog-wheels N N are shown adapted to be turned by means of a worm O and wheel 0. On these wheels are fastened cams n, which bear against the rearward side of the follower M. As these wheels are turned in one direction or the other the follower, and consequently the buffeigmove backward or forward to relieve the tension of the draw-bar or to force the buffer out again.

Lastly, in Fig. 7 is shown a substantially oval cam P, adapted to be revolved by means of a lever G and bearing against a follower M, which, together with the buffer, moves in one direction or the other as the cam is rotated.

lVe claiml. The combination of a buffer D, having a stem D, a two-part clutch mounted upon such stem, a buffer-spring bearing against one part of such clutch, and means whereby the two parts of the clutch are brought into engagement to release the tension of the drawbar or are disengaged, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a buffer 1), having a stem D, a collar E, a two-part clutch F F, a buffer-spring E, mounted upon the butterstem between the collar and the clutch, guides I I, in which the collar E and the clutch-follower F slide, sleeve-casting II, and lever G, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a buffer D, having a stem D,a spring mounted upon such stem, a follower mounted upon such stem in the rear of the spring and against which such spring bears, and means whereby the follower is allowed to move backward or is forced forward, substantially as described.

CHARLES A. SOHROYER. EDGAR B. THOMPSON. Witnesses: V

GEORGE S. PAYSON, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN. 

